The Princess and the Pawn
by Xanderlike
Summary: The first sacrifice that Leia Organa made to fight Snoke and the First Order was her son, Ben. He was six years old. A story where Leia discovers Snoke's corruption of young Ben Solo at its earliest stages and attempts to use it to save the Galaxy. It won't go the way she thinks. Especially when a certain Scavenger from Jakku shows up.
1. The First Sacrifice

The first sacrifice- and the most enduring one- that Leia Organa made to fight Snoke and the First Order was her son, Ben.

He was six years old.

 _Mama!_

The scream came to her through the Force itself- a shriek of such terror that Leia was out of her bed and in Ben's room without consciously being aware of having made a move. Her son reached his hands out to her desperately and clung to her. "The bad man! The bad man!" he wailed over and over.

"Ben..." Leia laid her hand on her son's forehead to comfort him...

And she felt _it._

 _Him._

 _Snoke._

Black venom, a shadow noose, that had somehow managed to snare her son's soul. She could _feel_ Snoke in the back of Ben's mind, whispering, urging him to do evil things … whispering hatred of his family into the boy's mind until it threatened to shatter into a thousand pieces.

 _No!_

Leia's first instinct was to strike- to rip the dark _thing_ that was poisoning her son out of him and burn down the Galaxy until she was sure that her son was safe from Snoke.

Her second … her second was to find a way to _use_ it to stop Snoke.

She could read his intentions, the malice in his mind … the thoughts that he had of conquest and cruelty. The New Republic thought the First Order was nothing … but within the echoes of the Force Leia could see that it was destined to rise to threaten everything she had fought and sacrificed so much to build. She could feel the whisper of war in her ear …

Snoke could not sense her presence … she could tell that. Her bond with Ben gave her cover. She could trace the foul link that Snoke had spun between her son and himself back to the source … she could read his filthy mind without his ever knowing it. How many lives could she save by using what she could learn here?

The Galaxy itself might be at stake.

Leia frowned as she kissed her son's forehead. He was already falling asleep in her arms, his nightmares of the "Bad Man" fading away.

Han would never understand the larger picture. If she told him that Snoke had a foothold in Ben's mind he would move heaven and earth to save his son. He wouldn't care about the future or what the Force was telling her; he would simply go to save his son, because that's what a father does.

No. She couldn't tell Han.

And it went without saying that she couldn't let Luke know either. Her brother had already told her that Ben had the potential to be every bit as powerful as Anakin in his prime. He wouldn't want to risk that future … he wouldn't trust Leia's vision.

But Leia _knew._

The First Order would grow in power until it threatened the entire Galaxy. To stop it, Leia would need any advantage, any tool, that presented itself.

Even Ben.

Billions of lives. The future. Surely those things were worth a few nightmares to a child?

When Leia had what she needed, she would tell Luke about Snoke's hold on her son. Luke would free Ben. He had freed Darth Vader who had _chosen_ evil. Surely it wouldn't be that difficult to save Ben … especially if Leia was there to remind her son of his duty.

"We can do it, Ben," she whispered to her sleeping child. "We can save everyone. I promise you that you'll be fine. No matter what happens, you'll always be my son and I'll make sure that nothing ever happens. Nothing.

"I just need you to listen to the bad man a little longer ..."

 _Author's Note: So... this idea has been running around in my head for a while now._


	2. The Second Sacrifice

_Mom! I need you, Mom! I need your help! MOM!_

Leia jolted instantly awake. She reached out through her bond with Ben. _I'm here, Ben. What is it? What's wrong?_

 _The Academy- Uncle Luke-_

He sends her images as rapidly as pulse fire bolts: Luke standing over him with a drawn light saber, a desperate attempt to protect himself … the other students accusing him of murdering their teacher … drawing their light sabers … of a few loyal friends standing with him … of padawan against padawan, lover against lover … brother against sister … and of the Academy burning.

She reached desperately out. She had a bond with Luke too- weaker than the one that she shared with Ben, but present nevertheless. _He's alive, Ben. He's alive. Where are you?_

 _We took the ship. We want to come home, Mom. I'll accept the penalties, but my friends- they shouldn't pay for saving my life. You have to help us! Mom, I want to come home …_

It's not the first time he's said that. It won't be the last.

Leia considered her options.

Her mother's heart wanted to tell him to come home, that she would move heaven and earth to make sure that he was okay. She still had the influence even after the revelation about Darth Vader- it would cost her what's left of her career, but she could save her son …

No.

She couldn't do that. The First Order would rise unopposed. The New Republic would not see the danger until it was too late. She had already lost any hope of stopping them with the Republic's help.

She has a Resistance to build.

She can't spare the time to save Ben.

And there's opportunity here.

 _Ben … you can't come home._ She felt her heart turn to stone inside her chest as she told him the first lie she'd ever spoken to him. _Luke … the Republic … they'll_ _ **kill**_ _you if you come home now. They'll think you're the next Darth Vader. I can't save you, Ben- if you come home, you'll die._

She tastes his panic and it burns so badly that she feels herself start to shed tears. _Where can we go? What can we do? Mama … what can I do?_

She dug her nails into her palms so hard they started to bleed. _Go to Snoke._

 _Mama?_ Shock. Horror.

 _Take your friends and go to Snoke. Serve him … but you'll really be serving the Republic._ He'd be serving her. _You can tell me what he's planning. You can save so many lives, Ben. You can be a hero. You're a Skywalker. You can make the hard choices to save the galaxy._

 _Mama …_

 _It's the only way, Ben. I'm sorry._ And she is. But this will put Ben into position to stop Snoke. It's dangerous for her son. Dangerous for his friends. But the potential payoff is worth it …

She was saving the galaxy.

She was not abandoning her son. She was saving the galaxy.

 _I'll do it, Mama. I'll talk to you when I can._

 _Goodbye, Ben._

 _Goodbye, Mama._

She was not abandoning her son. She was saving the galaxy.

She told herself that over and over until she finally fell asleep.


	3. The Third Sacrifice

Six years later, and Ben's sanity was hanging by a thread.

The things that Snoke has had him do … the things that Leia has urged him to do regardless of how much it cost him … had eaten into his soul, ripping away everything that had made him the person he was meant to be. At some point- and to her shame she can't remember _when_ \- she realized that things had gone too far … she had pushed Ben too far, made him do too much … for there to ever be a hope of a safe return for him.

And yet … their efforts had borne fruit. The Resistance has grown … they have ships … weapons … and enough people to prevent a noticeable threat to Snoke's plans. In between whispers and the ever more infrequent pleas to come home, Ben had told her of the Starkiller weapon, of Snoke's plans to destroy Luke Skywalker before he could create another generation of Jedi. Ackbar, Amilyn Holdo, and other influential veterans of the Rebellion have joined her cause … and though they sometimes disagreed with her, she still had her way most of the time.

But all the intelligence that Ben had provided her had not been able to save Hosnian Prime.

Ben had tried. He had tried to convince Snoke that it was unnecessary, but the Supreme Leader had overruled him. He had watched the destruction, and called out to Leia.

 _Mother, you have to convince them to leave. It's only a matter of time before Snoke aims the Starkiller at your base. I will do what I can to delay it, but Leader Snoke has decreed the destruction necessary. I cannot protect you._

 _I understand, Ben. You've done well._ She always tried to project support and warmth to her son, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

 _I have become a monster. Just a creature in a mask._

An image came into her mind … an image of a dark haired young woman … barely more than a child. _Who is this girl, Ben?_

 _A scavenger from Jakku. She's strong with the Force. I tried to convince her to show me the map to Luke, but she resisted. When I tried to read it from her mind, she was able to turn the tables and read my mind as well. I couldn't get the map; that's why Snoke has decided to destroy your base._

This girl … Leia could feel her rattling around in the Force now. An untutored child, but with a power that potentially matched her son's. A loose cannon … a weapon for Snoke … or for the Resistance. And more than that … Leia could sense Ben's _fascination_. His _attraction_ to her.

Leia had always had her son's loyalty. Luke had failed and ultimately betrayed him. Han … Han had found it easier to be gone more than he was there. And for all Chewbacca's love for Ben, he had followed Han as he always had.

Ben trusted in her. He listened to her. When Snoke drove him to madness, she was able to soothe him. She was able to help him gather the fragments of his will. She had shaped him to be her weapon, her blade at the heart of the First Order.

Because she was all he had.

This girl … this girl was a danger to her plans.

 _Ben … there is still time. You need to get the map from the girl. Do whatever is necessary._

 _Snoke has already decided to fire the Starkiller._

 _You're in danger, Ben. She could destroy all our plans. You cannot let Snoke gain an apprentice with such power._

 _Mother … Mama … I can't. I_ _ **won't.**_

Leia felt the stirrings of unease at this unexpected rebellion. _Ben … you know what we have worked for. All the things you've had to do … all the lives you have taken … we can't let that be for nothing._

 _I see her in the Force, Mama. She … I can't explain it._

 _Ben …_

 _Mama, never mind the girl. You have to make sure that Dad stays away from me. Snoke has ordered me to kill him as a sign of my dedication. I can't protect him if he comes here. Don't let him come here, Mother. Whatever you do, make sure that Han Solo stays away from me._

Leia bit her lip.

 _Mother?_

 _He's coming to you, Ben. He's coming to stop the Starkiller. They're coming for the girl._ Leia sighed. _And I told him to bring you home._

 _What?! Why did you do that? You've said that I had to stay here._

Leia bit her lip again. How to explain to her son that having Han back after so long had made her heart overrule her head? She had wanted him back- wanted both of them back. In a moment of weakness, she had said what she knew Han wanted her to say- said what she had wanted to say herself for so long. _You'll have to try to stay away from him, Ben, but if he finds you –_

 _If he finds me, Mother?_

She knew what Ben wanted her to say: _Come home. Just come home, son._

But she knew what she _had_ to say.

 _Do what you have to. We can't stop now. We're closer than ever to stopping the First Order once and for all._

 _Mother … Mama, you can't mean-_

 _Do what you have to, Ben. I won't hate you for it. Your father would understand._

Perhaps he would. Han Solo had been a General in the Rebellion, once. He had sent men to their deaths. But could he condone this … could he countenance dying at the hands of his son? Making his _son_ be his killer?

Leia could not think any more. _Do what you have to, Ben._

And she broke their connection.


	4. The Fourth Sacrifice

She fell when Han died. And it felt like she would do so forever.

 _What have I become?_

The thought was dangerous. She was worried about this _girl_ causing Ben to falter, but her own guilt over Han's death threatened to ruin all her plans. She had known that sacrifices would come- freedom always calls for sacrifices; she had learned that when Alderaan was destroyed- but she had not expected the sheer pain that Han's death would cause.

 _I've gone too far._

She had felt Ben's soul _scream_ as he struck his father down with his light saber. Snoke had demanded it. _She_ had demanded it. It had nearly killed Ben as well …

And then Chewbacca- Chewie, who had once loved Ben with at least as much ferocity as Leia herself- had nearly killed him with his bowcaster.

She had almost lost her son then. She had barely managed to nudge Chewie's mind, barely caused him to alter his aim enough to allow Ben to survive … It had been so _close._

And then came the battle with the _girl_. Ben had been insistent on capturing the girl, not defeating her. The girl was filled with power and righteous anger- Leia hadn't known to the last moment whether or not she was going to kill Ben. She had not been able to reach into the girl's mind at all.

When the girl came to them- came to her- the sheer _power_ of her almost blinded Leia. The girl was untrained, but so _strong._ No wonder Ben was drawn to her; she was easily as powerful as Ben- perhaps even more so.

She could not stay with the Resistance.

She was a threat to Leia's plans. She might learn things that she shouldn't. Leia had always done what she had to do, but if the other leaders of the Resistance learned just how she had learned so much about the First Order's plans …

No.

She needed the girl to be out of the way. She needed her away from the Resistance. She especially needed her away from _Ben._

She could ruin everything.

The girl was desperate to find her place in the Galaxy, to understand what had awakened in her … in another time, if things had not been so desperate, Leia would have tried to train her herself. She couldn't do that now, of course; her hatred of Ben, her grief over Han … she would never understand.

No, Rey was too _righteous_ to be useful now.

So when she volunteered to bring Luke Skywalker back- to bring her brother back- Leia had agreed.

It was _possible_ that Luke would train her. The girl- _Rey_ \- was stubborn. In some ways, she reminded Leia of herself. She would not give up easily- perhaps she would convince or coerce Luke into helping her. That could prove problematic.

Luke was more powerful than her. Perhaps their power might have been equal if she had applied herself, but she was mostly self-taught while Luke had not only had Jedi Masters to help him, he had spent years researching the old Jedi ways. She was not entirely sure she could hide her thoughts from him if he chose to read her mind.

It was a risk.

But it was one worth taking.

She needed the girl away from Ben. She needed the girl away from the Resistance. The future would bring what it would; she simply had to trust the Force.

Luke could be a problem, but the girl already _was_ a problem.

It was only after Rey and Chewbacca took off in the _Millennium Falcon_ that Leia felt a moment's peace. She didn't have long though. The First Order was coming.

She could feel Ben's tormented mind as he attacked the _Raddus._ The murder of his father- the murder that they both shared though only Ben would ever be blamed- had set a tempest loose in his mind. _Ben?_

He did not reply.

He simply moved his ship into position to attack. Only the barest fragment of his thoughts came to her- _Kill her be free kill her be free kill him be free kill him be free be free be free BE FREE._

Her poor son.

She had done _this._ Twisted his soul so much that freedom- from Snoke, from _her_ \- was all that he could think of.

For a moment, she let her mother's heart be free. _It's all right, Ben. Do what you have to._

 _Mother?_

The fragmented thought of her son. For all his pain, all his anger, he had always had a loving heart.

He loved her still.

 _It's all right, Ben._

And it was all right. Perhaps she had done enough. Perhaps she had done too much. Perhaps the Galaxy didn't need Leia Organa to save it.

If this gave her son peace –

 _Mother-_

She felt his fingers grip the firing pin. She felt his struggle. And she felt him let it go.

Yes.

The Force was still with her. With Ben. She had wounded him- torn his soul apart- but he remained her son. His loyalty was still with her.

Leia smiled.

And then the bridge of the _Raddus_ exploded and she was sucked out into space.

 _Mother!_

And even though Death reached out to her with all the coldness of space, Leia felt a slight smile touch her lips.

The Force was with her.

And so was Ben.

With the support of both, she made her way back to the _Raddus._


	5. Dangerous Dreams

"I just heard from Luke," Han Solo said as Leia walked into their modest (for a New Republic Senator's family) apartment. "Ben's coming home- and he's bringing _her._ "

"Her? The girl from Jakku?" Leia collapsed on her chair. It had been a rough day. The Outer Rim territories were still a mess. The New Republic was reluctant to send ships out that way, but Leia was certain that if peace were to hold they would need to bring relief to the oppressed people of the Outer Rim. She was making progress, but it was coming in millimeters. "Day something?"

" _Rey,_ " Han said. "You're usually better with names. Yeah, _her._ You should have seen Ben light up the first time he saw her- he _smiled_ like it was Lifeday and he'd just gotten the best present ever."

"Isn't she a little young for him, Han?" Leia frowned. Something seemed … _off_. Not _wrong_ , but _off._

"She's the same age you were when _we_ met, and look how that turned out." Han walked over to her and gave her a kiss. "On second thought ..."

Leia laughed and playfully smacked her husband. "I just want him to be safe, Han."

"I know, sweetheart." Han leaned his forehead against hers. "But a man has to take a few risks in life if he's ever going to be happy. Don't you want that for him, too?"

"I- do." Somehow she was filled with immense doubt. The very _idea_ that Ben could be happy seemed like such an impossible dream. And yet, why did it feel that way? "Ben's done well, hasn't he?"

"You know I didn't want to pack him off to Luke's Jedi Academy, but I have to admit you were right as always, Leia: Ben's a Jedi Knight, one of Luke's strongest. He's bringing peace to the Galaxy. He's going to finish what you started."

Why did those words give her a sudden chill?

Neither Leia or Han traditionally prepared their own meals, but Han had learned how to grill meat and Leia was able to at least handle making a salad. They went to Ben's favorite bakery and bought his favorite cake for desert as well as a bottle of the wine that Han always brought whenever he visited Ben and Luke at the Academy.

Ben and the girl- _Rey; why did she have such a hard time saying the girl's name?-_ came in just as Han was taking their steaks off the grill. "I always know when Ben's coming home," Han said with such a straight face. "I know my son."

"Mom. Dad." Ben was nearly thirty now, but he still came across as more of a shy boyish student than anything else. He was wearing his Jedi Robes. "It's good to be home. Mother, this is Rey of Jakku."

"Pleased to meet you, Princess Leia," the girl's accent reminded Leia of the speech favored by Palpatine's Imperial admirals. It made her wonder again fleetingly about the girl's parentage, but it didn't really matter. She was strong with the Force, and that was the only thing that mattered at Luke's academy.

She was wearing the robes of a Padawan.

"Please, Rey. Call me Leia. I haven't considered myself a Princess for such a long time. Ben, are you too old to hug your mother?"

Ben awkwardly came in for a hug. She held him tight, feeling as though it had been years since she had last seen him. But that was silly, wasn't it?

"Leia," Rey said softly, looking around. Ben had immediately returned to her side and taken one of the girl's hands. He looked at her with near slavish devotion, Leia noticed again with a hint of irritation. "You have a beautiful home."

"Thank you."

Leia and Ben sat the table while Han and Rey talked over some of the latest modifications he'd made to the _Millennium Falcon._ Ben was a superb pilot- every bit the equal of Luke in his prime- but he had no interest in the nuts and bolts of ships. Once the table was sat- Han insisting that Ben sit at his side instead of his usual place at Leia's- the talk turned to some of the worlds that Ben had been to since his last visit.

Han had spent most of his life on the _Falcon,_ and he'd seen as much of the Galaxy as anyone Leia had ever met. He nodded along as Ben spoke, asked questions about the worlds he'd once visited before Ben, and then eagerly listened as Ben talked of the (few) worlds that Han himself had never seen.

"If you can ever get some time free, you'll have to take Chewie and me to some of those worlds, Ben. Always love to breathe atmosphere I've never experienced before."

"Me too," Ben admitted quietly.

"Will this just be a boy's trip or would I be able to go along too?" Rey asked softly, her hand clutching Ben's.

 _Can she not keep her hands off my son for at least five minutes?_ Leia thought with irritation.

"You're always welcome wherever I go, sweetheart," Ben told Rey with a soft smile.

Leia stood up. "I'll do the clean up. You three sit back and talk."

"You sure, Leia?" Han asked with concern. "I can help."

"No, it's all right. Talk with your son, Han. You two don't see each other nearly enough." Leia gathered up the dishes.

"I'll help too," Rey told her. "I really don't feel comfortable sitting still while someone else works."

"Very well." Leia helps Rey collect some dishes and the two women head into the kitchen. Leia places the dishes into the sink and turns the water on.

"You don't like me." Rey said it in a conversational tone of voice.

"It's not that." It is that. She does not like the power this young woman has over Ben. Skywalkers have gone to dangerous extremes in the name of love. That's one of the reasons she had wanted Ben to become a Jedi, to learn how to set aside attachments. "I'm sure you're a wonderful person, Rey, but Ben has a very important destiny ahead of him. He cannot afford to be attached to someone new … Someone who ..."

"Has no place in his story?" Rey's lips twisted in something that wasn't a smile. "Someone who isn't a legendary Skywalker? Someone who's nobody... a nothing?"

"I didn't say that."

"You're thinking that. You're wondering how a girl from nowhere can mean so much to Ben. How someone like me can make him happy."

"It's not polite to read someone's mind, Rey." Leia forced herself to remain calm, to shield her mind the way that Luke had taught her.

"He wanted to become a pilot, do you remember that? He wanted to spend his life traveling on the _Falcon_ with his father. He didn't want to be a Jedi." Rey's voice darkened. "He didn't want to become a Knight of Ren."

 _No._ _It wasn't real. No._

"When did it become easier to think of Ben as a tool rather than your son, Leia? When did his happiness, his life, his _sanity_ \- stop being important to you?"

"I didn't- I've only done what was necessary. For the Resistance. For freedom!" Why was she trying to justify herself to this girl? Why did she feel that she had to justify herself to this girl?

"Your causes were always more important to you than the people you loved, Leia. More important than Han. More important than Ben. Even Luke. What will happen when you run out of people you love, Leia? Who will you sacrifice then?" Rey drew her light saber- no, _Anakin Skywalker's_ light saber- and ignited it. "Who else will die for the great Leia Organa?"

Han screamed.

"Han!" She ran out of the kitchen.

Han was still screaming. Ben- now in black, his face scarred- held a blood red light saber in his hands that was buried to the hilt in his father's chest. "I didn't want to do it, Daddy! I didn't want to kill you! She made me! Mama made me kill you! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Han touched Ben's face once, and then fell.

"He can't kill you, Leia. Even now … even after everything you've done … after everything you've made him do … Ben still loves you. He'll never be able to free himself from you." Rey's face was hard and unforgiving, devoid of any compassion. "But I can."

Leia raised her hands, tried to summon the Force to protect herself, but nothing happened.

"Han was wrong," Rey told Leia gently. "Ben didn't have too much Vader in him. _You_ did. And now it's time for you to pay." The scavenger from Jakku drew her light saber back. "A clean blow to the heart- just like Han. It's more than you deserve."

The light saber was coming, and in a way Leia felt glad. She was tired of all the death, the dire necessity of her actions … now it could end...

 _Leia._

Her brother's voice.

Luke called to her.

And her eyes snapped open. "Luke."

She was in a hospital bed.

It was a dream.

All just a dream.

No one knew. No one knew what she had done. No one would be coming for her ….

She told herself that until she passed out again.


	6. The Fifth Sacrifice

She had to stop Poe, of course.

He was a good man, committed to the cause- but he's reckless, so certain that his way is the only way- that he's cost them lives and equipment they could not replace. Now … now the mad plan he had come up with Finn and the girl- another girl; why did the Force keep sending young women to make her life difficult?- had nearly caused Amilyn's plan to fail. The Force whispered that she would have need of him, so Leia set her weapon to stun rather than kill- though it was a nearer thing than he would ever know.

Since she woke up, the Force had been speaking to her more strongly than ever before. It was soothing her fears, removing her doubts. Telling her that things were proceeding as they were meant to. She just had to listen to it … to guide her Resistance … to guide Ben.

She has lost so many now … Han … Ackbar … and now … now it was time for her to lose Amilyn. She read in Amilyn's mind her decision to remain on board the ship … to not entrust its fate to a droid … the Admiral was going down with her ship … penance, perhaps, for the lives they had lost to get to this point. Leia knew that Poe thought Amilyn to be unfeeling, but every death … everyone they lost … was like a light saber to the heart for her dear friend.

She regretted the loss. Amilyn was strong, brave … one of the few people left that would stand up to Leia and argue if she thought the wrong decision was being made.

 _That's why she has to go,_ something whispered in her ear. _There can be no rival. No one else for the Resistance to rally behind._

So she said goodbye to her old friend and boarded the shuttle with the others. Amilyn was the past. Poe was the future. He was the one she needed by her side.

The first of the shuttles was nearing Crait when the First Order began opening fire on them.

They had been discovered. The shuttles were unarmed. One after another, the lives of her people flickered out like candles in a strong wind …

She reached out for Ben.

She felt his turmoil … and felt the presence of _the girl_ again. Perhaps that was why she had dreamed of them. The girl had come to Ben …

To kill him?

The icy tendril of fear crept down her spine. Without Ben, she would have no way to influence the actions of the First Order. No way to stop Snoke …

But no … she did not sense fear in her son for the girl … No anger either. He felt...

 _Compassion?_

No.

It was more than that.

Just as she had in Leia's dream, the girl had claimed some part of Ben's loyalty, some part of his _heart._ She had a hold on him … a part of him no longer belonged to Leia … or Snoke … or even Ben himself.

This girl- _Rey._

She had survived. She had found Luke. Now … now she had gone to Ben. N o matter how gifted she was, Luke could not possibly have trained her enough to confront Snoke in his stronghold … what was she thinking …?

Leia wanted to know. She _needed_ to know.

But she could not- she _dared not_ reach into Rey's mind. She was too powerful … too strong willed. If she discovered Leia's influence on Ben … on the things he had done … her Resistance could fall into tatters.

So she to contact Ben instead.

 _Ben … it's me. It's your mother. Talk to me, Ben._

 _Can't. Snoke is here. He's going to hurt Rey. He's going to_ _ **kill**_ _Rey._

 _Ben … it may be the will of the Force …_

 _No. Not Rey. Never Rey._

 _Ben-_

 _No, Mother. Not Rey._

And Leia gasped as she felt her son _block_ her.

No.

The _girl_ \- this Rey- Ben had chosen _her_ over Leia. She bit her lip and wiped away tears. How could he? She was his _mother._ They were on the cusp of bringing peace to the Galaxy … how could this girl- this _child_ \- have a deeper claim on Ben's loyalty than she did?

Loyalty … or _love_.

She had not expected this.

It seemed that her dream had been truer than she knew.

Ben Solo had fallen in love, and now all of her plans- the fate of the Galaxy itself- depended on what he would do to save this girl who had come out of nowhere.

The answer came almost immediately as Leia felt a surge of power through the Force.

 _Snoke was dead._

To save Rey, Kylo Ren- Ben Solo- had murdered Supreme Leader Snoke.

And for a moment, Leia found herself wondering if she would be next.


	7. The Final Sacrifice

She felt Amilyn's death much like she had Han's; like a dagger to the heart.

But it wasn't in vain: the rest of the shuttles were able to make it down to Crait. She reached through the Force for Ben- to see if he could find some way to call off the First Order. To see if he was still alive. Instead … instead she felt ...

She felt the white hot anger of Ben over's Rey's refusal to join him.

The fury surprised her. She had felt Ben's anguish, his guilt- his desperation over doing the acts that his role as Kylo Ren demanded from him while trying to retain his own conscience and sense of self. But at his heart, she had always felt his loyalty- his _love_ \- for her.

Not any longer.

 _Rey_ had obliterated any other loyalties in Ben's heart. Whatever connection he had felt for Snoke- for _her_ \- was as nothing compared to that girl. He would burn the Galaxy down for her.

And she had refused him.

She had left him.

She had left him to return to the Resistance- to return to _Leia._

The thought came at her like a physical blow: _I won't let you have her, Mother. I won't let you twist her like you did me. I'm coming, Mother. I'm coming for your Resistance- for_ _ **you.**_

 _This isn't you, Ben,_ Leia pleaded desperately.

 _It is me, Mother. You made me a monster. You made me a monster, but I'm not your monster any longer. I'm Rey's. And I'll protect her against anything- even if she hates me forever for it._

He slammed the connection shut.

Leia reached out again and again, but her son did not respond. "We have to call on our allies for help," she told the other Resistance members. "It's now or never."

Everything she had done. Every sacrifice she had made. Her son. Han. Amilyn. They had all been for the greater good of the Galaxy. Now it was time for the Galaxy to heed her call – to save those who had been fighting for their freedom.

Surely the Force was with her …

She watched Poe and the others prepare themselves for a hopeless fight. There had been a time when she would have been with them- but she was too old, too weak, too injured, to be part of that fight. She could only watch.

Ben … no _Kylo_... was out there with his army. He would destroy the Resistance if help did not come. He would kill them all- and Leia did not know which she would be worse for her in that case; survival or captivity.

The _Millennium Falcon_ arrived with weapons blazing, and Leia could not repress a sad smile. It almost made her think that Han was aboard- but, no.

Han was gone.

TIE Fighters moved into position and chased the _Falcon_ off the battlefield. The rest of Kylo's army began attacking the fragile speeders that were the Resistance's only hope.

Allies.

Where were her allies? Where were the men and women who had once sworn to fight for her if the need ever arose? Where had they gone?

When the First Order's monster weapon blasted through the gates of the Resistance's last stronghold, Leia sighed.

No one was coming.

"We fought to the end, but the Galaxy has lost its hope. The spark is out."

And as if to rebuke her, a familiar footstep sounded as a figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Luke," she whispered.

He stood in front of her and looked at her with faded blue eyes. Did he know? Had he come here to judge her for her actions- to punish her for Ben, for Han- for all the lives that had been taken because she had deemed it necessary

"I know what you're going to say," she whispered. "I changed my hair."

"It's nice that way." He stared at her long enough to allow her to imagine all sorts of horrors. "Leia, I'm sorry."

"I know." Leia sighed with relief. She might die, but at least she would not die with her brother hating her. "I'm just glad you're here at the end."

"I'm here to face him, Leia- but I can't save him."

"I know." Ben was gone now. She had promised herself there would be a way for her son to come home- for the sacrifices she made- that _he_ made- to be rewarded. Now she knew the truth. "I know that my son is gone."

"No one's ever really gone," Luke told her, and he kissed her forehead.

They stared at each other for another moment.

Luke pressed something into her hands and then walked towards the breached gates. She knew that he would buy whatever time he could for them. Not for someone to help them- for a chance for them to escape to fight another day.

And he left behind Han's golden dice in her hands.

He would not be coming back. None of them would. Not Han. Not Luke. Not even her poor lost tormented Ben.

Leia was alone.

She watched the others- looking for a way out. She tried to reach out to the Force, but the conflict between Ben and Luke was shredding her focus.

It was Poe who spotted the last vulptice. "Come on," he said.

As one, the Resistance turned to Leia. "What are you looking at me for?" she snapped. "Follow him!"

The way was closed, of course … the escape the creatures used being too small for any Resistance member to use.

Leia gathered her strength to try again. If only she could move the rocks enough …

But no.

Someone else was doing that.

The _girl._

Leia fought down her anger- and fear. Ben had not told the girl about how she had guided him. Rey would be an ally- and a weapon against the First Order.

Against Ben.

They boarded the ship. The entire Resistance- what was left of it- could now travel in the _Falcon._

Leia sighed.

She felt Luke's passing like a last whisper of faded youth.

She saw Rey close the hatch to the _Falcon._ She sensed her sadness. Her determination.

 _She cared for Ben._

Was that going to be a strength or a weakness? Leia wasn't sure.

"Luke Skywalker is gone," Rey whispered. "Kylo is stronge than ever. How can we go on? How can we win this fight?"

Leia smiled and embraced the girl. "We have what we need."

 _She_ had what she needed. A powerful Force user with an emotional connection to her enemy.

Just the way it had all started before.

Leia looked at the rest of the Resistance. They had stood with her until the end. They were hers now- a dedicated corps of believers that would not challenge her again. She would build a new Rebellion out of them. An army to oppose the First Order.

To oppose Kylo Ren.

"Excuse me, Rey," Leia said, embracing the girl once more. "I need to go to the refresher."

"Of course." Rey nodded at her. Leia could already see bonds of trust and affection growing in the girl's eyes. She was like a young bird, eager to impress on a parental figure.

Leia smiled at the girl again and made her way to the tiny refresher in the _Falcon._ She opened the tap and washed her face with some of the water and looked into the mirror.

Her eyes were golden with the Dark Side of the Force.

Of course.

This was the final sacrifice that she was to make for the Galaxy. She had used her son. She would use Rey. She would burn as many lives as it took to bring peace to the Galaxy- _her_ peace.

The Galaxy needed guidance- _her_ guidance.

It was her destiny.

And if victory required her to join with the Dark Side, that was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

She was the Chosen One now. Perhaps she had been the Chosen One all along.

Leia closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, her eyes were normal once more.

Leia smiled.

And she began to plan …

 _Author's Note: So this story came about for a couple reasons. One, in **The Force Awakens** novelization, Leia says that she knew that Snoke had been influencing Ben since childhood. She also said that she had not told Han about it because she didn't think he would be able to handle it. I can't really imagine Han- or Leia- for that matter allowing **anyone** to play mind games with their son. I would have fully expected Han and Leia to hop into the **Falcon** and then proceed to utterly destroy Snoke for trying to corrupt their son._

 _That didn't happen. Maybe there was a reason for it._

 _The other thing that gave me the idea for this fic is that Ben's bond with Rey forms during the time that Leia is in a coma. The Kylo Ren we meet then isn't a monster- he seems to feel remorse, and he comes to care for Rey. It's only after Snoke is gone- and coincidentally after Leia is awake again- that he loses it and makes his "You're nothing" speech to Rey. He just seems to fall apart then._

 _So the idea came to me … what if Leia had been using Ben as a means towards dealing with Snoke? Would she do that sort of thing? Would she sacrifice her son for the good of the Galaxy?_

 _In the current canon, I think there's a credible argument she would._

 _And as the road to Hell is paved with good intentions … I could see Leia falling to the Dark Side without even realizing it. Each step- each sacrifice- seemed necessary. And it's only at the end that she realizes what she has done and what she has become._

 _And then she accepts it._


End file.
